Why you return to Jamaica and Couples...

Just curious why others make this choice. I know why we do but we have never been anywhere else. We have been to Jamaica 5x. Our last two being CSA. Did you go to Jamaica numerous times and then decided to try something new? Or, do you always travel to a new destination every year? Most people we talk to say "don't you want to try something new" NO not really...I am aware that is part of our mentality that we don't like to change what is working for us and we kind of got an idea of what to expect. Plus the being able to drink the water is just huge for me...I drink gallons! For those who have traveled to Jamaica numerous times and then try a new destination, what is it for you that brings you back? I have feeling I would have a good time, but would I always be comparing and disappointed?

For us, our first experience traveling out of the country was with some close friends. They were married a few years earlier at CSA and we traveled with them to celebrate their 5th anniversary. We were hooked. We loved everything about CSA. For us this was a dream vacation.

Since then, we started a special vacation fund with our bank. We put our spare money into this fund every chance we get. About every other year this account is built up enough to return to Couples.

After a couple of trips to CSA we decided to change things up a bit and try CTI. We liked CTI every bit as much as CSA. We are returning to CSA this year. We intend to take a day pass over to do some exploring at CN. Maybe try CN on a future trip. We are sure CSS is every bit as nice as the outer Couples resorts. But my wife has a problem climbing stairs and inclines. This is the only reason we won't try CSS.

We have researched outer all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. But in our opinion nothing else compares to Couples. As of now, we have no intention of trying any other resort chain.

We started traveling to Jamaica 14 years ago. We tried several different resorts in Jamaica as well as other destinations like Cozumel, Aruba and Punta Cana. While we enjoyed all those trips we found we liked Jamaica better. In 2013 we tried the Couples brand and CN for the first time. We absolutely loved it. CN is a great fit for us. We feel like we have seen enough of other places and other resort chains to know that CN is about a good a fit as we will find.

Do we think about going to other resorts and other destinations: Yes. Could there be another resort out there that is an even better fit for us: Of course, that possibility exists. But for now we will be returning to CN, rather than explore other destinations. Perhaps in the future we will want to try new things again.

We first traveled to Jamaica in 2009 for our first tropical vacation. We chose it because some friends of ours had been there and raved about it so much that we finally decided that if we didn't go now then inertia would take over and we would never get around to it. We spent our first five trips at a resort in Runaway Bay but decided to try somewhere new after our old place changed hands to an owner whose method was to milk every cent he could get and push the place into the sea.
We decided to give Sans Souci a try after we did a lot of research and found a place that matched our criteria.
Our Checklist is:
Adults Only
Good service
Nude Beach

Sans Souci ticked all those boxes for us so we decided to give it a go back in April and it looks like we have found our new home and have already booked for April 2016.We can get sun and sand in other places but it's the people that keep us coming back to this island.

My wife and I (and sometimes our kids) have been vacationing in Jamaica since the mid 80's. What keeps us coming back is that for the price and the travel time from the East Coast of the US you simply can't find a better tropical vacation. The Jamaican people. with very few exceptions, have been wonderful to us on every single trip and I don't get the same feeling anywhere else.

As for why Couples... Since we have pretty much lost count of the number of times we have been to Jamaica, and have stayed at a LOT of different resorts we realized there are a few things that really make a difference for us. We have done family resorts many times with our kids, but when we travel as a couple we want an adults only destination, and it's hard to beat Couples for that. We vacationed a LOT of times at the H resort on the other side of the point, and loved it for many trips and many years. But over time that resort began to cater more and more to large (sometimes huge!) groups. When groups start being given special considerations over other paying guests, when large groups start being allowed to claim parts of the resort as "theirs", when groups start being allowed to close down some parts of the resort to other guests in order to have private functions, when management begins to allow members of groups to ignore rules and common sense etiquette because the group is so large, when groups are allowed to hang ugly signs and advertisements for their travel groups around the pools and in the dining rooms, (this list could go on...) then it is time to leave. I am hopeful that Couples never allows groups to become the 500 lb. gorilla that they have become at other resorts. The resorts who have gone down that road have become so dependent of group bookings that they can't or won't challenge groups or group members over rules, behavior, etc,,, for fear of losing their bookings. So far... Couples continues to treat every paying guest exactly the same and that is something that keeps us coming back! We don't have to spend weeks researching different groups to see if we need to avoid booking when they are there. No matter when we go Couples is the same... special, beautiful, and well managed.

We have been to Jamaica 8 times over the last 20 or so years. Four of these trips were to Couples resorts and we have a return trip to Swept Away planned for this coming March. We really like Jamaica for a number or reasons. The Jamaican people rank up there highly, frequent flights and convenient schedules and it's reasonably priced. Couples fits the bill with a nice variety of good restaurants, pleasant service and the couples only atmosphere is preferable as well. In many other Mexican and Caribbean resorts you pay a higher premium for the adult only resorts - have never understood that. We are fortunate to be able to take multiple trips each year and we've visited many other island locations and have a favorite in Riviera Maya but Couples is a favorite too in Jamaica.

In terms of beach vacations, I have been to Cozumel multiple times, Grand Cayman, Dominican Republic, Aruba, St. Thomas, Antigua, Guadeloupe, both sides of Florida, California, etc., and finally Jamaica. My wife was on all but a couple of those trips with me as well, and she has also stayed in the Bahamas. We are both divers, and there are many Caribbean stops on our bucket list, as well as Australia, Bora Bora, Fiji, Thailand, Borneo, etc. However, eight years ago, we went to Jamaica, and we stayed at CN. After a week, we had completely fell in love with this island nation, and, of course, Couples Negril. We loved the resort, the small towns, the excursions, the bus rides, the food, the coffee, the rum, the scenery, the weather, the warm sea water, the tap water, the Office of Nature, the West End Cliffs, Cosmo's, Pushcart, the fact that everyone speaks English but Patois as well, and, most importantly, the general attitude of the people. So, here is the issue, every time we have planned a trip since, we cannot bring ourselves to book anywhere else. For the value and ease of use the resort brings to the table, the familiarity and comfort with the surroundings, and the friends we have made over the years, it's too difficult to try something else. When our kids are grown up, and we can take more than one big vacation per year, we may try something else, but mid-to-late November will always be reserved for CN. We literally have no interest in trying out the other three Couples resorts, and have yet to even do a Trading Places day with CSA. As you will hear time and time again from various repeaters, if it's not broken, why fix it?

We are booked in June for our 10th trip in eleven years to CSA. Our first was for our 25th anniversary and we just love the place. The beach is probably our biggest attraction. The staff, no kids, no singles and the people of Jamaica are also important to us. We are more than satisfied with the food and restaurant selections and being all inclusive makes it easy and relaxing for the entire stay. We have extended this trip to 9 days from our usual 7, just because we could. With all that said, we may be searching for other destinations for our 2017 vacation. We are getting older, both in our early 60's now, and we just feel that we need to see some other parts of the world while we still have good health and the vitality to enjoy. Thinking Europe for our next trip. But we will surely return to CSA in years to come. We are looking forward to this trip as much or more than any previous trip, it is just that wonderful in our eyes. Our stays at CSA have been the most relaxing vacations we have experienced. We always wind up doing a lot of nothing. Just walking the beach and socializing with other guests and the staff, and occasionally taking an excursion or an activity just to break up the routine. There have been changes over the years at CSA, but the things that matter most are consistently satisfying for us. Of course some things never change: see Elvis for whatever you may need that is not already provided by CSA. He is not hard to find.

Being from the UK we have been fortunate to have visited almost every European Country as well as Israel, Dubai, The Seychelles, The Maldives, Thailand, and Malaysia. We have also been to Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal, Banff and Vancouver) the United States (New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Florida including Florida Keys, California and Colorado). Our Caribbean trips have taken us to Barbados, Tobago, Antigua and Jamaica. First trip to Jamaica was to Grand Lido Braco, but after this closed we tried CSS and loved it. Unfortunately 4 years ago my wife had knee replacement and could no longer manage all the steps at CSS so we changed to CN. Since then CN has become our favourite place not only for the fantastic beach but more so for the staff who make every trip so memorable for us. We are lucky enough to manage 2 other vacations each year which are usually to Spain and one of the Greek Islands but CN remains our number 1 and is worth the 10 hour flight!

I think the guy with the filthy leg hit it on the head. For me, there are the "trips" to go on to see new things, to try new food, to see new places, to explore, etc. Then there is the "vacation", to get away from everyday life, to relax and be with my wife, to just close my eyes and hear the water, no watch, no phone, no set anything except for " Honey... the snarklin boat is loading, let's go ", or " Honey... gotta go, the guys just brought the dive boat in". That's it!!! My head feels different when I've been to Swept Away than it does when we go anywhere else. The count down is on and running!!!!! Can't wait to get wet!!!

Having traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean. Barbados, Bahamas,St. Thomas, St John, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Virgin Gorda. For the value and ease of use the CTI brings to the table, the familiarity and comfort with the surroundings, and the friends we have made over the years, it's too difficult to try something else. We enjoy being here year after year and Can't wait to return in August.

We're settling into a routine of trying to visit CSA every other year, then in the alternating years, try to go somewhere new. Part of this is due to the rising cost to stay at CSA, but it's also partly because we do like to try out different places. But I have yet to find a place like CSA that checks all our boxes: adult only, great beach, lots of inclusions, and good food.

My wife and I are returning to CSS for the second time in May for these reasons. Like some other folks have indicated, we like to visit a variety of destinations for the more intensive type of vacations, but for those chillin' type holidays, a place like CSS is wonderful:

1. Intimate size of the resort. Not too big and not too small. A perfect fit for us.
2. Excellent service and food.
3. While it doesn't have the best beach, CSS has beautiful grounds. So pretty.
4. Adults Only resort. There is certainly a time and place for kids and family, but sometimes you need a romantic break!
5. The beautiful and warm people of Jamaica. At least everyone we encountered were so friendly and helpful. And funny!
6. Easy access: Non-stop flight from Chicago Midway via Southwest Airlines. Then Club MoBay, nice to be pampered. The shuttle ride from Montego Bay is a bit of a drive, but it is relaxing and actually enjoyable.
7. AN Beach. That's the final selling point that seals the deal. SSB is simply great and so much fun, if that's your thing. If it's not your thing, no big deal, so many other things to do.

Went once, and I'm totally hooked. I could go back to Ru which is close by for a lot less money, but it was a whole hell of a lot less nice than Couples. I felt like couples really kissed my butt, they cared about me having a good time. All the employees were great, the room was great. I enjoyed just about every second of being there. That never really happened on a trip before that one. Of course the nude beach, something I never thought I would tout so highly until I experienced the freedom it offers.

That said, the money is hard to justify year after year for my budget. (I stay in garden rooms too)

We were smitten on our very first trip too. It was in 1993. We completely turned our lives around in order to keep going back. This April will be our 39. But it's not about how many times one goes back, it's about what you get every time you return. The staff is a huge part of our enjoyment while we're there. And having been going for the past twenty years, we have wonderful long time relationships with a lot of people.
After our experience is over and we return to our other life, we ask each other if it was still "all that". So far the answer has always been "Ya mon"!! It really has gotten better over time and we still love it.

Our first visit was CTI for our honeymoon, since then we have travelled throughout the Caribbean, India, Europe, Canary islands, Greek Islands, Mauritius and Dubai. Visited CTI pre renovations in 2005 and CN in 2011 but in 2013 we tried CSS and have not looked back. The thought of returning home makes the 10.5 hour flight and 5 hour time difference worth it!

Some things have changed since I started this post of questioning the return to Jamaica(CSA) for every vacation. Good things! We have bought a house and are selling our current. This deal is all happening in two weeks, YES 14 days. 14 days to pack and move 15 years with a 6 and 3 year old under foot..YI YI YI! So going on vacation was definitely crossed off the list. But then, I see there is the great February booking deal with resort credits being released. I thought we could book now and go in 2017, WHAT? We always book with a TA including flight. So I have a hard getting the numbers accurate. But our week in October for 2017 on the Couples site was $2800 GV and that is 7 nights. Seems good but then you have to get the flight. I am aware of flight cost? Just throwing that out there for anyone whom is gathering numbers. When we booked last Oct 2013 ...same week, BVS, the cost was $3900 with air.

Great thread! We've been asking ourselves this exact question. Want to try somewhere else but SO afraid that it won't compare and that we've wasted all of that money. Wonderful to hear why people keep coming back even when there are other options. Just confirms my gut feeling...